5 Ways to Say 'I Love You'
by heyits.reagan
Summary: Set after the events of Battle for Mewni. Totally, completely Starco.
1. one

_**1: "I'm not leaving."**_

Marco didn't let her out of his sight.

After everything that just happened–after coming _so close_ to losing her–he chose to keep an eye on her. The day following the battle, the royal family worked to clean up the castle and the rest of the villages. It was a lot of work, but the Butterfly Kingdom was beginning to look more like itself after a few days.

Marco didn't start out in her room. He was right next door in a guest bedroom with the comfiest bed he'd ever laid on. Honestly, it was even more magical than Memory Foam. The view he had of the kingdom from his balcony was beautiful, too. The city lights below and the rolling hills above that glistened under the sunset was breathtaking. He loved that room.

The first night, he awoke to screaming. Before he could even realize what he was doing, Marco had tossed the comforter back and he was racing next door. He was faster than the guards.

Star was sitting upright in her bed, knees hugged to her chest as tears streamed down her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was whispering to herself. Marco climbed on the bed and pulled her into a tight hug. She melted in his embrace and sobbed quietly, not even caring about who could hear.

"Shh," he cooed, brushing her hair from her face, "it's okay. You're safe, you're okay." He rested his cheek against her head and combed through her hair. "You're okay. I'm here, you're okay."

Moon caught the two together the next night. It wasn't late, but Star was already fast asleep. Marco lay on his back, arm wrapped around Star as she used his torso as a pillow. He was awake still, just staring at the ceiling. When the giant doors opened and light poured into the room, Marco squeezed Star's arm and glared at who disrupted the darkness.

"Marco," Moon hissed quietly, "you can't be in here. This is hardly appropriate."

"She needs me," he whispered.

Moon took a deep breath. "Marco-"

"I'm not leaving," he declared, maybe a little too sharply. The queen shut her mouth and stared for a moment. In any other circumstances, she would have snapped at him and sent him back to the Earth immediately. However, these weren't normal circumstances.

And who knows where she'd be if she didn't have _her_ protector by her side every night.

"Fine," she said finally. She turned to leave, but stopped. "Marco."

"Yes?"

"… I'm very thankful that she met you. You're a good boy."

Marco smiled, but she couldn't see. "Thank you, Queen."

The woman smiled faintly. "Call me Moon."


	2. two

_**2: "I'll protect you."**_

It didn't take long for the rest of Mewni to catch wind of the attack. The other royal families travelled to the Butterfly Kingdom to help the clean up. Marco and Star were met by Pony Head and Tom in the village and the teens were sent to the upper levels of the kingdom to work.

A woman stopped the four as they walked through the village. Star recognized her as one of the castle's guards and smiled.

"Princess," the woman greeted, blinking in surprise, "I was told you wouldn't be going out today."

Star shrugged. "Well, I couldn't let my friends have all the fun out here."

The guard nodded slowly. "Okay, well, just pitch in wherever you can. Give me a shout if you need any help!" She stomped off to rejoin a group of guards shoveling concrete out of the dirt.

Pony Head raised an eyebrow when Star turned to them. "That was weird."

Star rolled her eyes and forced a smile. "Psh, guards, always worrying about stupid stuff. You know how that is." She squinted her eyes and pointed between Tom and Marco's heads. "There's a spot! Let's go!"

Tom shot Marco a suspicious look before following the girls across the terrain. Marco nervously jogged behind them.

There was something weird with the crater, Marco noticed. Not because it's where the final battle took place or because it's where Star 'died.' To Marco, everything felt as normal as it did a few feet away. Looking upon the faces of the royals beside him though, he knew something was wrong.

Star's face was emotionless and unreadable. Pony Head was confused and scanning the crater for something. Tom was on edge, glancing over his shoulder every few moments and taking baby steps away from the slope.

"Well, let's get to it," Star said, sliding down the hill. She stumbled into the center of the crater and looked around. Images flashed through her mind, replays of the explosion that destroyed this tower and the monster she met on the other side.

Marco turned to Pony Head and Tom. "What's wrong with you two?"

"Somethin's not right here," Pony Head answered. "I can't explain it."

Tom nodded. "She's right. The air…" He took a deep breath. "It's thinner here. I feel drained, for some reason. Everything feels wrong." He glared at Marco. "What happened here?"

Marco chewed on his lip. He stared at the ground, those tainted memories flooding back to him. "The death of Toffee." He looked down at Star, who now sat on the ground. "The death of Star."

Pony Head's eyes widened, then she frowned. "We should get out of here. Someone else can do this part."

Marco nodded. "Star! C'mon, we're going somewhere else."

No answer. No movement. The teens exchanged worried looks. Marco slid down the hill and jogged to Star. He knelt next to her and grabbed her shoulder. Her knees hugged to her chest, she buried her face in her arms and sobbed.

"Star?" Marco asked softly. "Star, hey, what's wrong?" He held a hand out to Tom and Pony Head and they came to a halt a few feet away. Marco shifted so he faced her straight on. "Star, look at me."

Slowly, the princess raised her head. Her cheeks were flushed and wet with tears, her eyes red and puffy. She shivered and Marco spotted chill bumps coating her arms.

"It was so cold there," she whispered. "And dark. I couldn't breathe Marco, I couldn't breathe…" She gasped for breath.

"Look around you, Star. You're not there anymore. You're on Mewni. You're safe."

She stared at her knees. "I've never been safe."

Marco hooked his finger under her chin and tilted her head back. "Look at me, Star," he growled. She raised her blue eyes and Marco noticed for the first time that they don't sparkle like they used to. They aren't as innocent as they once were.

"Star Butterfly, so long as I am by your side, you will always be safe," he swore. "I'll protect you."

She smiled. It was weak and faint and accompanied by a fresh set of tears, but it was a smile. "Thank you, Marco."

He scooped her in his arms and walked back to Pony Head and Tom. "Go back to your parents and see if there's something else you can help with. We're going back to the castle."

There was a sharp sense of firmness in his tone leaving no room for argument. Pony Head and Tom nodded, eyes wide. They stared at Marco's back until he was nothing but a dark blob in the distance.

Pony Head whistled. "He'll make a great king one day."

Tom scowled, but even he had to admit it was true.


	3. three

_**3: "I believe in you."**_

"I can't do this."

It was a late night on Mewni, far past the hour the princess usually went to sleep. She was pacing around her room, heart racing in her chest and palms sweaty profusely. Her boyfriend watched from their bed, hiding his yawns every few minutes so she wouldn't notice.

"This is what you've been training for your whole life," Marco said, hugging a pillow to his chest.

"No, this is what I ran away from when I was fourteen and was suddenly thrown back into after the battle with Toffee," she corrected, pulling at the loose strands of hair that weren't wrapped up in a curler.

"Don't do that," he scolded, "you'll mess up your hair."

"Who cares about my hair, Marco?"

"The stylists who were _very_ serious and intense about keeping those curlers secure. They aren't the kind of people I would like to see angry."

Star growled and rolled her eyes. "My hair isn't the problem right now. The problem is that in sixteen hours, I'm going to be _queen_!"

Marco sighed and climbed out of bed. Star tried her very best _not_ to look at his bare chest as he walked over. As they went through high school and Marco continued his journey through karate, his muscles began to fill out the rest of his body and boy, did she love when he slept shirtless.

He looked down at her and smiled. Marco had also gone through a growth spurt about a month after they graduated. He loved to tease Star because she hadn't grown since sophomore year.

"You're going to be a great queen, Star," he said, brushing a stray strand out of her face.

"No Marco, I'm not. I'm the rebel princess who destroyed the city within the first hour of having my wand. I'm going to be the worst queen ever."

"Hey." Marco took her hands in his. "If it means anything, _I_ believe in you."

"You're supposed to," she giggled. "You're my boyfriend, it's kinda your job." She was grateful though that _someone_ believed in her, even if she didn't.

Marco chuckled. "Fair point. Just remember though, nothing can be worse than Song Day."

"Oh my gosh," she groaned, her forehead falling into his chest. She laughed, "That _was_ really bad."

He kissed her hair. "Come to bed, Star. You need sleep." She huffed and made no efforts to move. "You can either go on your own or I can make you."

Star titled her chin back and smirked up at him. "Oh, really?" she challenged. He pressed his lips into a sly smile and hummed.

Marco scooped her in his arms and slung her over his shoulder. She gasped and cried, "Marco!" as she pounded her fists against his back.

"You asked for it!" he laughed, spinning in a circle while she pressed against his back.

"Ah, put me down!" she whined. "I'm getting dizzy!"

Gently, he laid her on the bed and climbed on top of her. Marco hovered over her with a triumph smirk.

"Don't underestimate me, love." He dipped his head and pecked her nose. Star rolled her eyes and shoved him to the side. Then, she rolled over so now she was on top of him.

"Don't underestimate _me."_

 _"_ I let you do that. _"_

 _"_ Sure _."_

They stared into each others' eyes for a moment, savoring the moment. Then, her eyes fell to her arm that was planted right next to Marco's head. Her skin was permanently damaged from "dipping down" into that pot of boiling soup when she was stuck in that place with Glossaryck. From her elbows to her hands, her skin was rough and rugged and will never look the same again.

Marco turned his head and pressed his lips against the tender skin. Then, he looked back at Star and cupped her face. "Those scars show when you were strong. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save Mewni. Even though that was… The absolute hardest thing I've ever had to cope with ever, it just proved to me that you're ready. You can do this, Star. I believe in you."

"Thank you," she whispered, the smile he loves so much returning to her face. She fell asleep in his arms, mind at ease because even though she'd be facing one of the scariest things in her life so far, at least she'd have him by her side.


	4. four

_**4: "I'm so proud of you."**_

This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

Star requested a private meeting. She was only going to allow Marco to accompany her if the other agreed to her rules. It was supposed to be quiet and secluded so the leaders could discuss in peace.

Now, she and fifty of her guards stood in the center of the village against a small army of monsters. Star and the leader of the army, a young beast by the name of Alphonse, stood toe-to-toe as the kingdom watched on. Marco was planted close behind her, hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he glowered at Alphonse.

"I asked to meet in private," Star began. Her voice seemed to echo throughout the silence of the village.

"Oh I know, but I couldn't risk anything. Mewmans, you know?" Alphonse sneered, cocking an eyebrow. "Can't be trusted."

Star refrained from rolling her eyes; she wasn't here to pick a fight. "I want peace between our kind."

" _Peace_?" Alphonse spat. "You should've thought of that before you slayed our leader!"

"Toffee spilled my family's blood _first_ ," Star growled. "Whatever punishment he received, he deserved. We're not our parents, though. We can begin a new era right here, right now."

"How am I supposed to trust the daughter of the woman who outcasted us in the first place?" he demanded.

"The same way I'm supposed to trust the son of the monster who killed my grandmother, kidnapped my husband, and nearly destroyed my kingdom."

Alphonse pursed his lips. Star continued, "It won't be easy and will take some time, but Mewni is our home. The least we can do is get along."

"You realize if you cross me, I'll spill your blood across your precious corn."

Marco grit his teeth at that. Star shrugged, "Don't underestimate me; I've more powerful than you can even imagine." She held out her hand, "Do we have a deal?"

She felt so much pressure as she stood there. Her hand had crossed to their side, the truce had been projected. It was up to him to make the next move. Will he accept? Or will he tear her arm off?

Alphonse slapped his hand against hers. "We'll give it a shot, but if even one of your people-"

"Right, yeah, you'll bring war to us all," she cut him off. "Good thing it won't come to that."

"You're too confident for this."

"I'm great at influencing people."

They released each other's hands and stared. Alphonse bowed his head, "Queen Butterfly, I look forward to whatever the future holds."

"So do I, General Alphonse."

Her heart fluttered just at the thought of it.

•••••••

Mewni shimmered with excitement that night. The lights of the city were glistening blobs from Star's balcony and music played throughout the streets. The Mewmans were celebrating the end to a long lived war. Star couldn't stop smiling.

"You did it," Marco said, leaning against the balcony next to her.

"I still can't believe it," she admitted.

"I am so proud of you, Star. You've just started something incredible."

"You think it'll stay this way?"

Marco took a deep breath as he gazed over the city. "Maybe not forever but whatever happens, you'll always come up on top. It's just who you are."

She smiled at him. "You're doing really great at fueling my ego."

He laughed. "It's what I'm here for, isn't it?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. They swayed with the faint hum of the music below. Marco whispered, "And to think, you thought you'd be bad at this."

Star giggled. "I'm only twenty, Marco. Give me a few years."

Marco dipped his head and pressed his lips against her temple. Together, they stood under the starry Mewni night and watched their kingdom celebrate the start of a new era.


	5. five

_**5: "I love you."**_

She looked beautiful. In a purple dress that swayed as she ran, she raced around the ballroom that echoed with laughter. Her brown hair lay in a neat plait against her back and a she tucked a few loose strands out of her face. She reached a hand out and leaned forward, eager to touch the back of a boy from the Underworld and declared him as 'it.'

"Aw, they're playing tag," Star cooed, pressing her hands to her heart and looking over at Tom. "Remember when we used to do that?"

"I remember you tripping me so I'd stop running and you could tag me," Tom argued, shaking his head.

"Ah, the memories."

For Celena Butterfly's sixth birthday, the princes and princesses from across Mewni were invited to the Butterfly castle. The ballroom was filled with tables of snacks, packed with bounce houses and other inflatables, and overrun with laser puppies. Music blared through speakers planted in the corners of doorways and varied from traditional Mewni classics (Last minute sabotage from Moon) to Earth's greatest hits (Only the top 100 from Marco's Must-Listen-To list).

"Ooh, that girl is lucky," Pony Head praised, looking at the happy couple. "She's got years worth of great partying ahead of her." The kings and queens gathered on a balcony around a long table, overlooking the party below. Star and Marco sat in the middle with Pony Head to Star's left and Tom at Marco's right. Tom's wife couldn't make the party because she was visiting family and Pony Head had yet to find someone she wanted to settle down with.

Star leaned back in her chair smugly. "What can I say? I know how to party."

Marco grabbed a tortilla chip and dipped it in a bowl of nachos. The food was a mix of Mewni and Earth. The couple decided they wanted to raise Celena in the two dimensions she's made up of.

"I know I'm a king and all that, but I really want to go play on that jousting inflatable," Marco admitted. A few guards had climbed on earlier and the matches had the royals dying of laughter and choking on their meals.

"Me too!" Star cried. She looked at Marco with wide eyes. "Let's do it."

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought you guys grew out of this."

Star snickered and looped her arm through Marco's. "We'll never grow out of this. Now, are you coming?"

The parents of the rest of the children were mingling about the party or watching their kids as the children got their faces painted or grabbed something to eat. The ballroom was filled with children and adults alike, even Marco and Star's parents were mixed in somewhere along with a heavy number of guards to make sure the kids don't get too crazy.

When Star and Marco began to descend down the staircase, everything seemed to just freeze. The attention was on them as they moved through a crowd that parted like the Red Sea. Even the children seemed to notice something was going on and the ballroom fell silent, save for the loud hums of the inflatables' air pumps.

Marco whispered, "They thinking we're going to do something important, but we're actually going to fight each other."

"It's always a surprise with us," Star snickered.

The couple definitely received strange looks when they kicked their shoes off and climbed onto the inflatable. Marco hopped onto the narrow platform in the middle, then reached down to grab her hands.

"Let's go, B-Fly!" Pony Head cheered as she and Tom watched from the side.

"Good luck," Tom laughed. A guard handed the pair their jousting sticks and very quickly got off the inflatable. Star hooked her hands into the grips and smirked at her husband.

"This'll be easy. You're going down, Diaz."

"That's some big talk for a girl who's five-foot-two."

Star's mouth dropped open. "Oooohhh you shouldn't have crossed that line."

Pony head hovered beside the two. "Ready, lovebirds?" The pair bowed respectively, then held their sticks out in a fighting stance. "Set. Fight!"

Marco swung first, aiming for her side. Star quickly blocked it and shoved him back. They stared, shoulders hunched forward and eyes narrowed as though they were in a real battle. He surged forward, stick tight against his chest. She pressed forward, stumbling back by his strength but holding her ground.

Their faces were so close they could feel each others' breaths. Marco smiled and kissed her, right on the lips. Momentarily, she was surprised. Using that to his advantage, Marco gently knocked her in the arm and she lost her balance, toppling off the platform.

There was an uprising cheer that rippled throughout the crowd. The children had long ago abandoned their activities and lined the inflatable curiously. They gasped and clapped when Marco got the upper hand.

"That was dirty," Star declared, jumping back to her feet. She gently plucked her crowd from her hair and gave it to Tom before she climbed back on the platform.

"That's the game, babe," he said smugly.

"Don't be too smug. The game's not over yet, _babe_."

The couple was light on their feet and handled even a heavy jousting stick easily. With years of sword fighting under their belts, they maneuvered through attacks like they'd been inflatable jousting their whole lives (of course, it didn't look as cool because you can only move so much on a narrow platform).

He was backing Star into a corner when she got an idea. She took a step back and her foot resorted to a pained expression. She knelt on the platform and bowed her head, the stick slipping out of her grasp and bouncing against the mat below.

"Ow, wait, my ankle," she moaned, bowing her head. Every guard in the room seemed to lurch forward. Marco's face fell and he dropped his sword immediately. Then, he sat in front of her.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" he asked, concerned.

Star sniffed. She looked up at him and smiled before shoving him off the edge. The crowd laughed and clapped for their queen. Star rose to her feet and smirked down at him.

"We just tied, _that's_ what happened."

"Ooh, this is getting good," Pony Head squealed.

Moon pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe she's actually jousting, in a dress of all things! The Queen of Mewni…"

Marco shook his head. "That wasn't fair."

"Neither was the kiss!" Star protested.

Marco climbed back on the platform and held his pole in his hands. "Tie breaker, then."

"Bring it."

Before either could make a move though, Celena cried from the sidelines, "I wanna play the winner!"

And just like that, the game changed.

Marco and Star looked at each other. "You wanna do it?" Star asked. Marco shook his head.

"Nah, you can. Beating you will get her more street cred."

Star snorted rather unladylike. "Then we'll settle this another time." Marco smiled and Star gently shoved him off the platform. He fell on his butt and the stick bounced next to him. Celena raced onto the inflatable eagerly. Marco's pole was replaced with a smaller one that Celena could hold on her own.

Marco helped her onto the platform and looked between his girls with a wide smile. Star bowed at her daughter and Celena mimicked her mother.

"Ready, ladies?" Marco said. "Set. Go!"

•••••

"You know," Star began as they stood in Celena's doorway that night, "we made a pretty good looking kid."

The six year old stood in front of her mirror, posing in the new clothes she received for her birthday. Marco leaned against the doorframe and watched the young girl fondly.

"Yeah, we did." He held his fist out and she bumped it with her own. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She tilted her head up and he smiled down at her.

"I love you," she said.

He pecked her lips. "I love you, too."

Together they stood, watching their daughter dance around her room in a new dress. Star has accomplished a lot in her life already, and she's only still just getting started. No matter what happens though, she knows Marco will always been by her side.

And she couldn't imagine it any other way.


End file.
